Coin-controlled ticket-vending machine.



W. E. STRATTON.

COIN CONTROLLED TICKET VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.4,1908.

903,91 4:} Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

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Elnozntoz Witnesses 4 W. E. STRATTON. COIN CONTROLLED TICKET VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JANA, 1908.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

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l l I W5 in wow W. E. STRATTON. com CONTROLLED TICKET VENDING MAOHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4, 190B.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

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attorney 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALLACE E. STRATTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. com-con'rnonnnn TICKET-VENDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

Application filed January 4, 1908. serial No. 408,298.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALLACE E. STRAT'I'ON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin Controlled Ticket-Vending Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in coin-controlled vending machines, and it has for its principal object the provision of an exceedingly simple apparatus of that nature designed for vending tickets or postal cards, or other commodities, such as chewing gum, which are sold in flat compact packages.

To this end, the invention consists in the particular construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter fully described, specifically claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts, or features, as the case may be, are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

Of the said drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of the improved vendmg machine, the door of the casing of the machine being shown in Fi 2 in open osition. Fig. 3 1s a broken en arged end e evation of the machine with the front panel removed. Fig. 4 is a similar side elevation with the door removed. Fig. 5 is a plan view with the top panel removed. Figs. 6, 7 and S are detail views, respectively, of the magazine, the cam and operating lever, and the slide.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the casing or cabinet within which the working parts of the apparatus are disposed, is shown as comprising suitable top and bottom panels a and a, front and rear panels 6 and N, a side panel M, and a door 2, which latter is connected with the panel N by a V hinge 8.

The front panel I) has formed therein a pair of vertical slots 4 and 6 located one above the other, and a horizontal slot 5 located below the slot 6.. The slots 4 and 5 are utilized respectively for coin-receiving and ticket-delivering purposes, while the slot 6 provides an opening through which projects the operating lever H, hereinafter described, said slot 6 having its upper end continued through the adjacent edge of the panel 6 as indicated bythe reference character 6..

Within the upper portion of the interior of the cabinet is located the card or ticket magazine 3 which is mounted upon a pair of horizontal brackets 19 provided with oppositely-disposed lon itudinal slots 50, as shown in Fig. 3, said brackets being secured at their ends to the front and rear panels I) and N. The magazine which is shown in detail in Fig. 5, is approximately C-shaped in cross-section, its vertical sides 38 and 39 having their outer longitudinal edges bent towards each other, to form the flanges D and their extreme lower edges cutaway adj acent the guide-bars A, to provide the escape openings B shown in said fi ure.

The slots 50 above referred to, receive the longitudinal edges of the base member F of a pusher plate or slide, the top member F of which carries at its rear end a rectangular stop-shoulder E which works between the guide-bars A and through the openings B, and is of a height equal to the thickness of the article to be vended, the lowermost article being engaged by said shoulder during the forward movement of the slide, and forced through the front opening B which latter registers with the delivery slot 5.

The base member F of the slide carries a 1 finger G which projects laterally beyond the outer bracket 19, and has its enlarged inner end 9 fastened to said member by pins 30. To one of these pins is secured the front end of a retractile coil-spring 20 whose rear end is attached to a pin 20 carried by the inner bracket 19 and its rear end, the tension of the spring normally maintaining the slide at the limit of its rearward movement in contact with a stop k.

The lower portion of the cabinet is occu pied by a safe, or coin receptacle 10 in whose top wall is formed the intake opening a The safe is provided with a suitable lock 10,

access to which is prevented when the door 2 I 3 upper ends of the runners being connected b secured, its lower en offset adjacent its base J, as indicated by the reference character j. To said base portion is attached by means of a shoulder or offset 33 an inverted L-shaped coin-striker arm K. The arm proper has secured thereto intermediate its ends the bent end 32 of a striker late L. The base portion of the cam arm 1s further connected to the operating lever H whose front end projects outwardly through the slot 6, as above stated, and has its oppo- 'te."side faces provided with grooves 0 into which the side walls of said slot are received. The offset or tenoned, inner end 34 of the lever is fastened to the' coin-striker K, the

screw z' above mentioned passing through an openin formed in the lever. To the inner face 0 the door 2 there is also secured the ear portion 12 of a bracket 12 which carries an angular coin chute l the opening 1n whose upper or inlet end registers with the slot 4 when the door is closed, said end being provided with a collar 11 which contacts with the inner face of the panel I) in which said slot is formed. The chute as shown in Fig. 3, is formed with an offset portion P through whose open upper end the free end of t e striker K pro ects, the vertical lower portion 11 of the chute being disposed directly above the intake opening a in the safe 10. Near its lower end the chute is rovided with an o ening 49, illustrated 1n Fig. 4, through w ich rojects one end of a horizontally-disposed ock-bar 17 supported by a pair of brackets 18, said bar being normally held at the limit of its inward movement with respect to the chute by means of a leaf spring 16 which is secured to one of the runners 13 and bears at its lower end against the bar. The projecting end of the bar thus forms a stop which serves to arrest the progress of the coin 0 through the chute. The bar has formed therethrough a slot 17 The operation of the apparatus is as follows. A coin of the proper denomination is inserted through the receiving slot 4.- into the upper end of the chute through which it travels until stopped by the projecting end of the lock-bar. The operator then ulls down the lever H a ainst the tension 0 the spring 15, thus forcln the plate I to move downwards between t e runners 13. During this movement of the plate, the arm J y slide member F contactin with the adjacent end of the lowermost car or ticket and projecting the same sufliciently fa'r through the delivery slot 5 to ermit it to be grasped by the operator. lhis movement of the slide can be efiected however, only when a ,coin has actually been inserted in the coin-chute, since the location of the lockbar is such that in its' normal or projected osition it-lies in the path of movement oi the striker L. If then, no coin has been deposited in the chute, said bar will remain in its normal position and thus limit the movement of the operating lever to an extent suflicient to prevent the actuation of the slide by the cam arm. On the other hand, where the coin has actually been deposited in the chute, the downward movement of the lever will cause the striker arm -K to contact with the coin and force the latter ast the projecting end of the lockbar, w ich latter is retracted by the movement of the coin against the-action of the spring 16, thus bringing the slot 17' directly below the lowerendof the striker L in position to ermit said end to pass therethrough, uring the continued downward movement of the lever.

While the magazine is designed primarily to be fitted with tickets orcards, it is to be understood that these may be rep aced by packages of chewing gum and similar commoditles.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination, with-a coin-chute, of a movable member having one end thereof arranged to enter the chute, to arrest the passage of a coin therethrough; means for normally holding said member in projected position; a coin striker having one end thereof workingin said chute above said member; means for moving the striker against the coin, to force the latter past said member by retracting the same; and means carried by said striker and arranged for engagement with said member, when the latter is retracted, to revent. movement thereof.

2. T. e combination, with a coin-chute, of an endwise movable member having its front end arranged to enter the chute, to arrest the passage 0 a coin therethrough, means for normally holding said member in projected position; a coinstriker having one end thereof working, in said chute above said member; means for moving the striker against the coin, to force the latter past said member by retracting the same; and means carried by said striker and arranged for en-' gagement with said member, when the latter is retracted, to prevent movement thereof.

- 3. The combination, with a coin-chute, of a notched movable member having one end thereof arranged to enter the chute, to arrest the passage of a coin therethrough; means for normally holding said member in projected position; a coin striker having one end thereof workin in said chute above said member; means or moving the striker against the coin, to force the latter past said member, by retracting the same; and means operated by the movement of the striker and arranged for engagement in the notch in said member when the latter is retracted, to prevent movement thereof. 1

4. The combination, with a coin-chute, of-

a notched movable member having one end thereof arranged to enter-the chute, to arrest the passage of a coin therethrough; means for normally holding said member in projected position; a coin striker having one end thereof worki in said chute above said member; .means for moving .the striker against the coin, to force the latter past said member, by retracting the same ;..and means connected with said striker and arranged for .engagement in the notch 1n said member when the latter is retracted, to preventmoveiment thereof.

=5. The combination, with a coin-chute, of a spring pressed lock bar extending into said coin-chute, said lock -bar being vided with a slot; a spring held striker p ate adapted to work into said slot in one position; a spring pressed coin striker extendingv into said coin-chute; and means to simultaneouslyt actuate said striker plate and coin striker.

6. The combination, with a coin-chute, of a notched movable member having one end thereof arranged to enter the chute, to arrest the passage of a coin therethrough; means for normall holdingisaidmember in projected position; a coin striker having one end thereof working in said chute above said member, means for moving the striker against the coin, to force the latter past said member, by retracting the same; and means operated b the movement of the striker and arranged or engagement with said member when the latter is retracted, to prevent movement thereof. 4

7. The combination, with a coin-chute, of a movable lock-bar having one end thereof arranged to enter the chute, to arrest the passage of a coin therethrough; means for. normally holding the bar in projected position; a coin striker having one end thereof working in said chute above said bar; a movable member arranged for engagement -with said bar when the latter is retracted;

and means for simultaneously actuating said strlker and said member.

In testimony whereof, I aflix myrsignature, in presence of two witnesses.

WALLACE E. STRATTON. 

